Containers

ABSTRACT

A leak-proof stackable container for shipping ice cooled foodstuff has a bottom provided with a centrally located well. Between the upstanding walls of the container and the upstanding walls of the well there is a peripheral bottom portion uniting these walls and providing support for wooden fillet boxes or perforated plates on which perishable food mixed with ice is deposited. The container is covered with a lid having a centrally located recess of a size to receive the well of a second container stacked thereon. The lid is provided with flanges engaging the upper lip of the container to seal the contents in the container. The lid and container may be insulated with a foamed plastic. Fore greater strength the walls are strengthened with ribs.

D United States Patent 1151 3,659,74 1 Corelli 1 51 May 2, 1972 54 CONTAINERS 2,243,625 5/1941 Gettelman ..220/68 2,436,097 2/1948 Clarke ..206/4 [72} Inventor: Armand Dudley Corelll, 306 Jarv1s Street, 2'472582 6/1949 Green 220,41 0mm Canada 2.771.221 ll/l956 Hammond et al ..220/63 x [22] Filed: Feb. 20, 1970 Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair PP 12,991 Assistant Examiner-James R. Garrett Almrney-Stevens, Davis, Miller & Musher 4 O 7 [52] US Cl 220/63R 220/ 1253/9/72F ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl ..B65d 25/14 A leak-proof stackable container for shipping ice cooled food- [58] Field of Search ..220/97 F, 72,94, 63,4]; stuff has a bottom provided with a centrally located well.

206/4; 312/351 Between the upstanding walls of the container and the upstanding walls of the well there is a peripheral bottom portion 56] Refere e Ci d uniting these walls and providing support for wooden fillet boxes or perforated plates on which perishable food mixed UNITED STATES PATENTS with ice is deposited. The container is covered with a lid having a centrally located recess of a size to receive the well of a g lsvlayo 4 second container stacked thereon. The lid is provided with C flanges engaging the upper lip of the container to seal the con- 1,235,069 7/1917 Sk nner ..220/41 UX ems in the containen The lid and container may be insulated 1,717974 6/1929 Hemnchs F with a foamed plastic. Fore greater strength the walls are 2,146,173 2/1939 Cooper ..206/72 X strengthened with ribs 2,181,150 l1/l939 Pittenger... ..206/72 X 2,184,336 12/1939 Devine ..206/4 10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Patented May 2, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented May 2, 1972 2 Sheets$heet z FIG. 5

CONTAINERS The present invention relates to a container, and particularly to a leak-proof light-weight shipping container for the shipment of fresh fish, cut-up chicken, and in general any product requiring ice for cooling during transit.

At present shippers of fresh fish use wooden fillet boxes containing crushed ice and fish fillets. These boxes, however, are not leak-proof and therefore are not acceptable for transportation on certain railways.

The container of the present invention is formed of plastic material, which results in a light-weight, leak-proof and economical construction.

In addition the container of the invention is provided with a closure member or cover which is secured to the container during shipment and which may be sealed, for example by a serial numbered seal, to protect both the shipper and consignee from pilferage.

Moreover the container is re-usable, and two or more such containers are stackable one on top of the other in a stable interlocking manner to ensure against tipping and to gain the most advantageous freight rates.

As fresh fish and cut-up chicken in particular, must not be immersed in water and yet must be kept cool by the presence of ice, the container of the invention is provided with a well in the bottom to receive water formed from the melting ice. The wall portions of the well are off-set inwardly from the main walls of the container to provide a horizontal peripheral supporting shoulder. This shoulder in addition to providing direct support for wooden fillet boxes or for a perforated plate or screen which divides the container into an upper food and icecontaining chamber and a lower water receiving well, also provides means to support the container on the next lower container when a number of containers are stacked.

The provision of an upper chamber containing food and ice and a lower well to receive water from the ice, separated by a perforated plate thus insures that perishable food products will be kept in constant contact with preserving ice and out of contact with water.

Thus, while the container ofthe invention makes it possible to ship bulk shipments of perishable food in direct contact with ice and out of contact with water by using a perforated plate, it can also be used to directly receive wooden fillet boxes referred to above to provide a leak-proof container for the boxes. In this latter case a perforated supporting plate need not be used and wooden fillet box (or boxes depending on the size both of the wooden boxes and of the inventive container) will sit directly on the peripheral supporting shoulder. With this arrangement any water leaking from the wooden box will gather in the water well out of contact with the fish or chicken, etc. and moreover will not leak from the container.

The water well provided in the bottom of the container is formed having a substantially flat bottom and may have either substantially vertical side and end walls merging with the horizontal peripheral shoulder portion, or the side walls and/or end walls of the water well may be inclined outwardly. In either event the closure member or cover for the container is provided with a correspondingly shaped recess to receive the downwardly projecting well of an upper container when the two containers are vertically stacked. The vertical depth of the recess provided in the closure member is, however, fractionally greater than the vertical depth of the well whereby when in stacked position the weight of the upper containers is born by the container walls and not by the central portion of the closure member or cover.

The invention will now be more specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein;

FIG. 1 illustrates the container of the invention in side view with the cover removed, partially broken away so as to reveal a screen or perforated plate means;

FIG. 2 shows the cover for the container in side view;

FIG. 3 shows in enlarged view the positioning of one end of the cover on the container, and securing means therefor;

FIG. 4 shows the container of the invention in end view;

FIG 5 shows the container in top view; and

FIG. 6 illustrates the cover for the container in top view.

Referring now specifically to the drawings numeral 1 in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 indicates the well formed in the bottom of the container; and numeral 2 indicates ribbing or creasing in the container, the purpose of which will be described below.

Numeral 3 indicates handles, which may be of nylon or the like for long wear, which are provided in the end panels of the container for easy handling inasmuch as handles hooks cannot of course be used.

Numeral 5 in FIGS. 2 and 6 indicates the recess formed in the cover; numeral 6 the downwardly and inwardly turned flange on the container cover and numeral 7 (see also FIG. 6) indicates flanges projecting downwardly from the cover to engage the outer edges of the container lip to prevent lateral movement of the cover with respect to the container.

Numeral 8 in FIG. 5 and numeral 9 in FIG. 6 indicate apertures or slots in the container and cover respectively to receive means to seal the cover to the container.

The container is provided with generally vertical (although they could be slightly inclined) end walls 11 and side walls 12, each of these walls being topped with an outwardly projecting flat lip I3. The well portion 1 is provided with a substantially flat bottom 14 and upstanding end 15 and side walls 16. In the drawings the side walls 16 are substantially vertical and the end walls 15 are inclined outwardly. However, this is only a matter of choice and the walls 15 and 16 can both be vertical or both inclined.

The well portion 1 projects downwardly from the central portion of the container providing a horizontal peripheral bottom portion 17 between the walls of the container and the walls ofthe well.

When the container is used to carry wooden fillet boxes, the boxes will rest directly on the supporting shoulders formed by the bottom portions 17. However, when the container is used to ship bulk foods such as chicken pieces packed in ice, a perforated plate or screen denoted by numeral 20 is positioned across the shoulders 17 dividing the container into an upperfood and ice compartment and a lower water receiving compartment. The perforations in the plate of course permitting water from the ice to reach the well.

The cover for the container indicated in FIGS. 2 and 6 comprises a flat peripheral edge 18 and a recessed central portion 5. The recessed portion being dimensioned to receive the well of an adjacent upper container when the containers are stacked. As mentioned above the vertical depth of the cover recess 5 is fractionally greater than the vertical depth of the well whereby when the containers are stacked the weight of the upper containers is borne on the walls of the lower containers and not centrally on the cover.

To secure the cover to the container a downwardly and inwardly turned flange 6 is provided along the underside of one end of edge 18 of the cover, and this flange engages over one end lip 13 of the container as shown in enlarged view in FIG.

Downwardly directed flanges 7 are also provided on the edge of the cover and these flanges each engage an outside of the side lips formed on the container to prevent lateral movement ofthe cover with respect to the container.

When the cover is positioned securely on the container, the apertures or holes 8 and 9 are in alignment and means in the form of a tie wire, denoted by numeral 21, the showing being in phantom lines are positioned through the holes to securely fasten the cover to the container. Security seals may be used if desired.

The container is preferably constructed of sturdy, high-impact plastic. A suggested material is polyethylene which results in a strong, durable and light-weight container.

In order to further strengthen the container ribbing or creasing 2 may be formed in the container material during molding. This ribbing 2 which continues vertically down the side and end walls of the container and through the peripheral bottom portion also assists in the draining of water to the well.

In a preferred further construction the container and cover are lined with an insulating liner 19 shown in the drawings.

The lining 19 which may be of foam molded polystyrene or the like is permanently fixed to the container and lid by a special adhesive.

This insulating lining on the cover and the side and end walls of the container proper may be fonned to tightly meet together when the cover is secured to the container to provide a substantially spill-proof closed container.

The-bottom portion of the container is of course leak-proof when in upright position, and by providing that the container and cover linings meet together when the cover is secured in position a leak-proof container which is substantially spillproof even when placed on its top or sides is provided.

The linings may be formed in many ways to accomplish the desired result. The lining of the cover and that of the container may simply contact or abut each other when the cover is secured to the container, or the linings may meet in interlocking or tongue and groove relationship.

When the container is to be used with wooden fillet boxes, the boxes are first positioned in the container on the shoulders and ice is then added.

What is claimed is:

l. A leak-proof stackable shipping container comprising upstanding container side and end walls and a flat outwardly projecting lip provided peripherally around the upper edges of the said container side and end walls, and a horizontal peripheral bottom portion in said container, and a well provided centrally in said peripheral bottom portion, the well having a full bottom and upstanding side and end walls merging with said peripheral bottom portion, the peripheral bottom portion providing supporting shoulders for upholding contents in the container, and a cover for said container having flat peripheral side and end edges and a downwardly inwardly turned flange at one end edge of the cover to engage beneath the flat lip formed at the upper edge of one of said container end walls, and an aperture provided in the other end edge of the cover and an aperture provided in the flat lip formed at the upper edge of the other of said container end walls, the two apertures being aligned when the cover is in place on the container to accommodate container sealing means, and a downwardly projecting recess provided centrally in the cover, the recess provided in the cover of one container receiving the well of a second container when the containers are in stacked relationship.

2 A container according to claim 1 further comprising perforate means positioned on the supporting shoulders formed by the peripheral bottom portion to uphold contents in the container above the well.

3. A container according to claim 1, the cover further comprising a downwardly projecting flange carried by each side edge of the cover to engage outside of the lip formed along the upper edge of each container side wall whereby preventing lateral movement of the cover with respect to the container.

4. A container according to claim 1 wherein the outer dimensions of the well substantially correspond with the inner dimensions of the recess in the cover and the depth of the recess is fractionally greater than the depth of the well.

5. A container according to claim 1 provided with an insulating lining.

6. A container according to claim 1 wherein the container side and end walls and the well side and end walls and the peripheral bottom portion are ribbed.

7. A. container according to claim 1 provided with handles on the container end walls.

8. A container according to claim 1 wherein the container sealing means is a security seal.

9. A container according to claim 1 wherein the well end walls are substantially vertical and the well side walls are inclined outwardly.

10. A leak-proof and spill-proof container according to claim 1 wherein the inside of the container and the underside of the cover are provided with an insulating lining, the lining on the cover and the lining of the container meeting when the cover is secured to the container to provide a leak-proof and substantially spill-proof clo ed con tair r er. 

1. A leak-proof stackable shipping container comprising upstanding container side and end walls and a flat outwardly projecting lip provided peripherally around the upper edges of the said container side and end walls, and a horizontal peripheral bottom portion in said container, and a well provided centrally in said peripheral bottom portion, the well having a full bottom and upstanding side and end walls merging with said peripheral bottom portion, the peripheral bottom portion providing supporting shoulders for upholding contents in the container, and a cover for said container having flat peripheral side and end edges and a downwardly inwardly turned flange at one end edge of the cover to engage beneath the flat lip formed at the upper edge of one of said container end walls, and an aperture provided in the other end edge of the cover and an aperture provided in the flat lip formed at the upper edge of the other of said container end walls, the two apertures being aligned when the cover is in place on the container to accommodate container sealing means, and a downwardly projecting recess provided centrally in the cover, the recess provided in the cover of one container receiving the well of a second container when the containers are in stacked relationship. CM,2Tainer according to claim 1 further comprising perforate means positioned on the supporting shoulders formed by the peripheral bottom portion to uphold contents in the container above the well.
 3. A container according to claim 1, the cover further comprising a downwardly projecting flange carried by each side edge of the cover to engage outside of the lip formed along the upper edge of each container side wall whereby preventing lateral movement of the cover with respect to the container.
 4. A container according to claim 1 wherein the outer dimensions of the well substantially correspond with the inner dimensions of the recess in the cover and the depth of the recess is fractionally greater than the depth of the well.
 5. A container according to claim 1 provided with an insulating lining.
 6. A container according to claim 1 wherein the container side and end walls and the well side and end walls and the peripheral bottom portion are ribbed.
 7. A container according to claim 1 provided with handles on the container end walls.
 8. A container according to claim 1 wherein the container sealing means is a security seal.
 9. A container according to claim 1 wherein the well end walls are substantially vertical and the well side walls are inclined outwardly.
 10. A leak-proof and spill-proof container according to claim 1 wherein the inside of the container and the underside of the cover are provided with an insulating lining, the lining on the cover and the lining of the container meeting when the cover is secured to the container to provide a leak-proof and substantially spill-proof closed container. 